In the course of a day, you may . . . complete a homework assignment and watch a streaming video using your laptop, flip through news headlines and make dinner reservations using your tablet, search for directions and the local weather forecast while listening to music on your smartphone, edit a video on a desktop computer, and share photos online from your digital camera with family and friends. These and many other technologies are an integral part of everyday life: at school, at home, and at work.

Technology can enable you to more efficiently and effectively access and search for information; share personal ideas, photos, and videos with friends, family, and others; communicate with and meet other people; manage finances; shop for goods and services; play games or access other sources of entertainment; keep your life and activities organized; and complete business activities. People who can accomplish these types of tasks using technology often are said to be tech savvy.

Technology is an application of science used to solve problems. But it is vital to know that technology and science are different subjects which work hand-in-hand to accomplish specific tasks or solve problems. We apply technology in almost everything we do in our daily lives; we use technology at work, we use technology for communication, transportation, learning, manufacturing, securing data, scaling businesses and so much more.  Technology is human knowledge which involves tools, materials, and systems. The application of technology typically results in products. If technology is well applied, it benefits humans, but the opposite is true, if used for malicious reasons.

Many businesses are using technology to stay competitive, they create new products and services using technology, and they also use technology to deliver those products and services to their customers on time and within budget. A good example is mobile phones companies like Apple & Samsung, these mobile empires, use high-end technology to create new smartphones and other electronic devices to stay competitive. This competitive edge is gained through employing advanced technology.

Information Technology

Information Technology is a set of hardware and software tools used to store, transfer and process information. Information technology tools help in providing the right people with the right information at the right time. Knowledge workers in an organization use information technology to complete various tasks, and these can include;

• transferring of information which facilitates decision making within an organization,
• improve customer service.

In this information age, it is imperative to manage information systems to ensure accuracy and efficiency. Management information systems MIS involves planning for, development, management, and use of information technology tools to help knowledge workers and people perform all tasks related to information processing and management. Big financial institutions like banks use information technology to operate their entire businesses as well as serve their customers.

Technology has changed society today as much as the industrial revolution changed society in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. People interact directly with technology in fields such as education, government, finance, retail, entertainment, health care, science, travel, publishing, and manufacturing.

Technology use in Education

Educators and teaching institutions use technology to assist with education. Most equip labs and classrooms with laptops or desktops. Some even provide computers or mobile devices to students. Many require students to have a mobile computer or mobile device to access the school’s network or Internet wirelessly, or to access digital-only content provided by a textbook publisher. To promote the use of technology in education, vendors often offer substantial student discounts on hardware and software.

Educators may use a course management system, sometimes called a learning management system, which is software that contains tools for class preparation, distribution, and management. For example, through the course management system, students access course materials, grades, assessments, and a variety of collaboration tools.

Many schools offer distance learning classes, where the delivery of education occurs at one place while the learning occurs at other locations. Distance learning courses provide time, distance, and place advantages for students who live far from a campus or work full time. A few schools offer entire degrees online. National and international companies offer distance learning training because it eliminates the costs of airfare, hotels, and meals for centralized training sessions.  

Technology use in Government

Most government offices have websites to provide citizens with up-to-date information. People in Malaysia access government websites, such as ;

• Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS) that provides a single interface for government employees to perform HRD functions effectively and efficiently in an integrated environment. 
• Electronic Services that Enables direct, online transactions between the public, the government and large service providers via electronic means.
• E-Syariah - Introduces administrative reforms that upgrade the quality of services in syariah courts and to enhance the Islamic Affairs Department’s effectiveness-better monitoring and coordination of its  agencies and 102 syariah courts.

Technology use in Finance

Many people and companies use online banking or finance software to pay bills, track personal income and expenses, manage investments, and evaluate financial plans. The difference between using a financial institutions’ website versus finance software on your computer is that all your account information is stored on the bank’s computer instead of your computer. The advantage is you can access your financial records from anywhere in the world.

Investors often use online investing to buy and sell stocks and bonds — without using a broker. With online investing, the transaction fee for each trade usually is much less than when trading through a broker.

Technology use in Retail

You can purchase just about any product or service on the web, including groceries, flowers, books, computers and mobile devices, music, movies, airline tickets, and concert tickets. To purchase from an online retailer, a customer visits the business’s storefront, which contains product descriptions, images, and a shopping cart. The shopping cart allows the customer to collect purchases. When ready to complete the sale, the customer enters personal data and the method of payment, which should be through a secure Internet connection. 

Many mobile apps make your shopping experience more convenient. Some enable you to manage rewards, use coupons, locate stores, or pay for goods and services directly from your phone or other mobile device. Other mobile apps will check a product’s price and availability at stores in your local area or online

Technology use in Entertainment

You can use computers and mobile devices to listen to audio clips or live audio; watch video clips, television shows, or live performances and events; read a book, magazine, or newspaper; and play a myriad of games individually or with others. In some cases, you download the media from the web to a computer or mobile device so that you can watch, listen to, view, or play later.

Some websites support streaming, where you access the media content while it downloads. For example, radio and television broadcasts often use streaming media to broadcast music, interviews, talk shows, sporting events, news, and other segments so that you can listen to the audio or view the video as it downloads to your computer. You also can create videos, take photos, or record audio and upload (transfer) your media content to the web to share with others, such as on an online social network.  

Technology use in Health Care

Nearly every area of health care today uses computers. Whether you are visiting a family doctor for a regular checkup, having lab work or an outpatient test, filling a prescription, or being rushed in for emergency surgery, the medical staff around you will be using computers for various purposes:

• Hospitals and doctors use computers and mobile devices to maintain and access patient records.
• Computers and mobile devices monitor patients’ vital signs in hospital rooms and at home; patients use computers to manage health conditions, such as diabetes.
• Robots deliver medication to nurses’ stations in hospitals.
• Computers and computerized devices assist doctors, nurses, and technicians with medical tests. 
• Doctors use the web and medical software to assist with researching and diagnosing health conditions.
• Doctors use email, text messaging, and other communications services to correspond with patients.
• Patients use computers and mobile devices to refill prescriptions, and pharmacists use computers to file insurance claims and provide customers with vital information about their medications.
• Surgeons implant computerized devices, such as pacemakers, that allow patients to live longer.
• Surgeons use computer-controlled devices to provide them with greater precision during operations, such as for laser eye surgery and robot-assisted heart surgery.
• Medical staff create labels for medicine, hospital ID bracelets, and more, enabling staff to verify dosage and access patient records by scanning the label.

Technology use in Science

All branches of science, from biology to astronomy to meteorology, use computers to assist them with collecting, analyzing, and modeling data. Scientists also use the Internet to communicate with colleagues around the world. Breakthroughs in surgery, medicine, and treatments often result from scientists’ use of computers.

Tiny computers now imitate functions of the central nervous system, retina of the eye, and cochlea of the ear. A cochlear implant allows a deaf person to distinguish sounds. Electrodes implanted in the brain stop tremors associated with Parkinson’s disease.

A neural network is a system that attempts to imitate the behavior of the human brain. Scientists create neural networks by connecting thousands of processors together much like the neurons in the brain are connected. The capability of a personal computer to recognize spoken words is a direct result of scientific experimentation with neural networks.

Technology use in Travel

Whether traveling by car or plane, your goal is to arrive safely at your destination. As you make the journey, you may interact with a navigation system or GPS, which uses satellite signals to determine a geographic location. GPS technology also assists people with creating maps, determining the best route between two points, locating a lost person or stolen object, monitoring a person’s or object’s movement, determining altitude, calculating speed, and finding points of interest. Vehicles manufactured today typically include some type of on-board navigation system. Many mobile devices, such as smartphones, also have built-in navigation systems.

In preparing for a trip, you may need to reserve a car, hotel, or flight. Many websites offer these services to the public where you can search for and compare flights and prices, order airline tickets, or reserve a

or reserve a rental car. You also can print driving directions and maps from the web. 

Technology use in Publishing

Many publishers of books, magazines, newspapers, music, film and video make their works available online. Organizations and individuals publish their thoughts and ideas using a blog, podcast or wiki.

• A blog is an informal website consisting of time-stamped articles (posts) in diary or journal format, usually listed in reverse chronological order. Post can contain text, photos, links and more.
• Podcasts are a popular way to distribute audio or video on the web. A podcast is recorded media that users can download or stream to a computer or portable media player. Examples of podcasts include lectures, political messages, radio shows, and commentaries.
• A wiki is a collaborative website that allows users to create, add to, modify, or delete the content via their browser. Many wikis are open to modification by the general public. The difference between a wiki and a blog is that users cannot modify original posts made by a blogger.  

Technology use in Manufacturing

Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) refers to the use of computers to assist with manufacturing processes, such as fabrication and assembly. Industries use CAM to reduce product development costs, shorten a product’s time to market, and stay ahead of the competition. Often, robots carry out processes in a CAM environment. CAM is used by a variety of industries, including oil drilling, power generation, food production, and automobile manufacturing. Automobile plants, for example, have an entire line of industrial robots that assemble a car.

Special computers on the shop floor record actual labor, material, machine, and computer time used to manufacture a particular product. The computers process this data and automatically update inventory, production, payroll, and accounting records on the company’s network.